The primary aspect of protection against intrusion has long been a concern. This is particularly true of travelers that stay in motels or hotels as well as apartment dwellers and probably to a lesser extent, home dwellers. It is well known that a dead bolt will afford a higher degree of protection than an ordinary lock on a passage door but even a dead bolt does not insure against all intrusive situations.
There have been various devices as discussed in the Prior Art Statement which are directed to added security but they have not totally fulfilled the need and requirement for transportability, ease of application, positive locking, safety and prevention of intrusion. For example, several of the prior art units provide excessively large rods which have a means for attaching one end of the rod to the knob of a door with the other end angularly arranged to be positioned on the floor with the hope that this angular configuration will prevent pushing of the door inwardly. One of the major problems with such a device is that it is excessively long and is not easily carried by the user. Several other Prior Art devices include units which are used with the striker plate of the door frame and these devices fit between the door frame and the door edge. Obviously, if the door is tight within the frame, such devices are not useable in that no clearance for the unit is provided between the frame and door edge.
Applicant has provided a door blocking and effective locking device which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a device which is easily operable, small enough to be easily transportable and which will provide a very positive door blocking and effective door locking unit which cannot be removed from its position from outside of the door. The device also provides a quick release facility for normal use as well as for use in case emergency exit through the door is required.
The applicant's device provides an over-center or other mechanical type lock mechanism wherein the active elements thereof are respectively provided with a planar section that slips under the door to abut with the bottom thereof and a vertically upright, blocking member which is brought into locking abutment with the side of the door when the levers are closed together and brought into the locked condition.
A quick release facility is provided for easy and unambiguous release from the locked over-center position which is of particular import in the event of an emergency.
The active member having the floor engaging member includes a reversible, angularly depending member with one end being rearwardly extending from the door and allowing penetration through carpet and pad, if present, and into the subfloor, with the other end providing a friction element to engage a floor without carpeting. Locking of the devices levers will bring this depending member into immovable floor contacting position while forcing the vertical section of the other active member against the side of the door.
Any force from the outside to move the door inwardly will be transferred to the floor contacting element to further enhance the locking and blocking capacity of the device.
To remove the unit it is simply necessary to actuate the locking release and pull the unit from below the door. The unit is of such a size that it can easily be carried in a purse or in a person's luggage.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a door block and lock device which includes an over-center or other type locking unit having a pair of active elements, one of which is provided with a planar section to be positioned below the door and engage the lower end thereof and also having a vertical section to engage the inside surface of the door with the other active element being provided with a rearwardly directed, downwardly depending floor penetrating member which is brought into engagement with the floor upon closure of the levers.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a door blocking and locking mechanism which includes an over-center lever or other type locking arrangement wherein active members of the unit are provided with a first under door plate or planar section and an upstanding, side-of-the-door contacting member such that when the over-center levers are closed the upstanding member is forced into contact with the side of the door and which automatically brings a floor engaging element into position to penetrate and impinge into the floor such that any force against the door to open the same will cause the floor impinging element to be more securely directed into the floor to increase holding power thereof.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a door blocking and locking mechanism which includes an over-center lever or other type locking arrangement wherein the active members of the unit are provided with a first under door plate or planar portion and an upstanding side-of-the-door contacting member such that when the over-center levers are closed the upstanding member is brought into contact with the side of the door and which automatically brings a floor, friction engaging element into position to frictionally engage the floor such that any force against the door to open the same will cause the friction element to more securely contact the floor to increase holding power of the device.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a door blocking and locking device which includes an over-center, pivoted lever arrangement having a pair of active elements which extend forwardly from the pivot with one of such elements being provided with a plate or planar section to contact the lower edge of the door and a blocking section which is generally vertical for positive abutment with the side of the door when the levers are brought into over-center, locked position with the lower lever having an aperture therethrough to permit a floor contacting member to pass therethrough and be rearwardly and downwardly directed to contact the floor and wherein this floor contacting member is threadably adjustable to accommodate the spacing between the lower edge of the door and the floor over which it is installed.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and description.